Land reforms

In rural India, land is the single most important productive asset owned by the people

Why are land reforms needed?

Land reforms serve two purpose: raise productivity and end exploitation of the underprivileged

Institutional factors such as existence of feudal relations, insecurity of tenure, high rents, sub-division and fragmentation of land are disincentives for the cultivator to raise production

They reduce the capacity of the farmer to save and invest in agriculture. Surplus is siphoned off by the semi-feudal landlords

The measures of land reforms such as land ceiling and floor aims to make the best use of a scarce resource like land and generate maximum output.

But productivity can be raised through technological factors as well. Why land reforms?

Land reforms and technological change are not mutually exclusive. They are complementary in the process of agricultural development.

Discuss the scope of land reforms.

Abolition of intermediaries

Tenancy reforms i.e. rent reforms, security of tenure and ownership of land to the cultivator

Setting land ownership ceiling and floors

Preventing fragmentation of land and consolidation of holdings

Organisation of co-operative farms

Can land reforms be effective in alleviating poverty? If yes, how?

Surplus land can be procured through land reforms. This can be used in the following way for poor

By providing ownership of land

By fixing rents and providing security of tenure

Preventing the transfer of tribal land to non-tribal people

By consolidation of holdings to raise productivity

By making provisions for access of women to land

By earmarking public land that can provide access to fuel and fodder to the rural poor

By providing house sites to rural poor for residential purpose

Having mentioned the scope of land reforms in India, we can now go into detail in each of those reforms mentioned

Abolition of Intermediaries

Before Independence, three major types of land tenure systems existed in India: Zamindari, Mahalwari and Ryotwari. <details already read in history>

Legislations were passed by the states to abolish intermediaries. The first such legislation was in Madras in 1948

About 30 lakh tenants acquired land rights over a cultivated area of 62 lakh acres throughout the country

But all this didn’t happen very smoothly. Several challenges were made to the land reform legislations in courts.

The legislation only recognized zamindars as intermediaries; thus leaving out a class of other intermediaries.

Compensation was provided to the Zamindars

Tenancy Reforms

Three types of tenants: occupancy or permanent tenants, tenants at will, sub-tenants

Tenants at will and sub-tenants experience high degree of exploitation {through frequent enhancement of rent, eviction at minor pretexts and beggar}

NSS in 1953-54 estimated that about 1/5th of the total area under cultivation was held under tenancy. Besides, there was also informal or oral tenancy accounting for anything between 30-40 percent of the total cultivated area.